Greek Government Faces Rebellion from its MPs over Greek Post Closures (ELTA)

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is nether unit from his ain parliamentary implicit the cuts astatine ELTA. Credit: Dimitris Papamitsos / AMNA

The abrupt determination by the Hellenic Post (ELTA) absorption to close implicit 200 station offices nationwide has triggered a fierce interior situation wrong the ruling New Democracy (ND) party.

The backlash from citizens, peculiarly elder citizens who relied connected the section branches for services similar pension collection, rapidly escalated into a governmental firestorm, forcing the Prime Minister’s bureau to intervene.

Parliamentary revolt implicit ELTA

The situation peaked during a marathon teleconference wherever dozens of ND MPs “exploded” against ELTA CEO Grigoris Sklikas, demanding explanations and, successful galore cases, his contiguous resignation.

Over 40 MPs spoke during the meeting, which was described arsenic a “rodeo” and compared to the hard interior discussions surrounding the same-sex matrimony bill—with the cardinal quality being that, this time, the absorption was unified.

The superior root of outrage was the implicit deficiency of anterior consultation with the governmental leadership. The operation “Take it back,” voiced by MP Dimitris Markopoulos, became the rallying cry, demanding the contiguous reversal of the closure plan.

The struggle rapidly turned into an ideological clash betwixt what the MPs viewed arsenic an out-of-touch, purely method absorption attack and the indispensable governmental oversight and accountability. MPs feared being near to enarthrosis the full governmental outgo of the unpopular decision.

Government intervention

The aggravated unit from the party’s parliamentary radical efficaciously changed the governmental landscape.

Despite earlier enactment from authorities spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis, the CEO, Grigoris Sklikas, is present considered to beryllium connected probation pursuing the revolt.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was forced to convene an urgent, wide gathering with ministers and Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis to code the issue, efficaciously placing the restructuring program astatine the precise apical of the government’s agenda.

The unity and strength of the ND MPs’ absorption awesome a large governmental trouble for the government, demanding a swift alteration successful the ELTA restructuring people to quell the interior rebellion and negociate the nationalist backlash.

Political divided and fierce opposition

The determination has triggered a uncommon statement of concern, drafting occurrence from some the absorption and respective ruling-party lawmakers, centered connected the contented of societal cohesion.

Opposing voices reason the closure is purely method and ignores the societal fallout:

Main opposition PASOK emphasized that ELTA is simply a “crucial nexus of societal cohesion”. It questioned the firm’s compliance with its obligations arsenic a cosmopolitan postal work provider, noting that the closures portion residents of basal services similar payments, mail, parcel delivery, and small-scale fiscal transactions.

The SYRIZA party demanded an exigency parliamentary session, arguing that closing 204 branches volition permission land residents, radical successful distant mountainous areas, retirees, and adjacent immoderate Athenian neighborhoods without indispensable postal services.